


Space Invaders

by selyndae



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 07:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5657155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selyndae/pseuds/selyndae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the smallest things make us remember...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Space Invaders

Napoleon Solo could barely sit still in his seat.  Not only was he going to see the thrilling new space invaders movie at the Oakdale Theatre, but he was going with his cousin!

The war had been over for well over a year, but things were still slow in town.  No more rationing as he was finally able to have sweets again.  He’d been just a kid when the war began and he and his mom went to live with her sister while his dad was helping in the war effort.  Dad was still going to be gone for a while yet... 

Hazel Park was a small urban town and other than the small yard, pretty much what he was used to.  But it did boast a real movie theater!  He’d get together with some of the guys and they’d go to the Saturday Matinees all afternoon for just 15¢ apiece—money Napoleon earned by mowing lawns and weeding gardens.

He drank in those nifty newsreels showing the war’s progress, proud of the fact that his older cousin—more of a big brother really—had flown a fighter planes for the navy.  Geronimo had been his hero, even though he’d never been featured in the various newsreels.  (He’d always looked real careful through all the troops’ faces whenever they showed one of the aircraft carriers or destroyers.)

Then, there was that time, back when they hadn’t heard anything from him for almost six months.  During that dark interval, everyone tiptoed around Aunt Arethusa since she’d cry at just about everything…

But, a bunch of letters finally arrived from Gery and things got better.

 

The movie was everything a young boy could hope for!  Space invaders coming in on flying saucers—he could hardly contain himself!  Glancing around surreptitiously, Napoleon scanned the theatre.  Even though he was at the movies with his war-hero cousin, it could still hurt his burgeoning coolness—after all, he was almost fourteen!  A guy’s gotta keep his reputation after all.

Not seeing any of his friends, he slouched down into his seat.

“Some popcorn, Lee?”

_Oh boy!  Not just a nighttime feature but popcorn and a soda, too!_

“Yeah!  I, um, sure, thanks,” was his drawled reply.

 

The lights finally came back on.  Napoleon blinked in surprise, still caught up in the magic of fighting the fearsome space invaders.  In his mind’s eye, he could see him and Gery shooting down the evil saucers in their twin B-52s!  He stood up slowly, loathe to end this special evening with his larger-than-life cousin.

“Say, want to grab a burger?”

Napoleon’s eyes lit up for a moment before he remembered his finances.  All he had was a dollar and he was really hoping to take Jenny to the dance next month…  Before he should shake his head, Gery broke into his thoughts.

“My treat, sport.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a real American burger and fries.  I think we could find something along Woodward.”

“That’d be swell, Gery!  Uh, yeah, burgers sound great.”

“So, what’re we waiting for?”

 

Soon after that magical evening, his dad returned and they moved back to their old house.  Gery moved to Pittsburgh the following year and a short time later gotten really sick and nearly died.  He’d been one of the volunteers for a new polio vaccine and contracted the disease.  Not letting that slow him down, he still went on with his studies on the GI Bill and became an ophthalmologist—something he could do from a wheelchair.

Napoleon made a point of seeing him as soon as he got back from Korea…

 

“Napoleon?  Are you alright?”

Illya’s voice sounded concerned.

“Huh?  Of course.”

“You seemed…distant for a few minutes.”

Napoleon glanced over at the movie poster, half peeled away from the shabby wall.  For just an instant, he could see it as he first saw it as a young teen, bright and vibrant…

 

“I’m good.  Let’s go swoop up some Thrush!”

If Illya looked a little surprised at his partner’s choice of words, well, no one would be the wiser.  They swooped!

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Section VII LiveJournal for a picfic challenge back in 2013


End file.
